Bachelor of Arts in Music

Minor in Music

The 21-unit Minor in Music provides a foundation for a lifelong enjoyment and appreciation of music.

SPECIFIC EXAM INFORMATION

All incoming B.M students must take music theory, piano and ear training placement exams, regardless of previous studies in high school or college. Exams are administered on all audition days, as well as at the beginning of each semester. Students are encouraged to take placement exams on audition days, so they can pre-register for appropriate courses.

MUSIC THEORY PLACEMENT EXAM

The theory exam only assesses students’ knowledge of music theory in order to place them in the correct class. Incoming B.A. Students may opt to enroll in MUS 130 (Music Fundamentals) in lieu of taking placement exams. Students may not retake these tests once beginning studies in the SF State music program.

The exam is divided into two parts:

PART I

Basic Skills: to be exempted from MUS 130 (Music Fundamentals) -45 minute live exam, given on audition days and immediately prior to the beginning of the semester. No additional materials may be used during this exam

Everyone must complete this section.

Treble & Bass Clef notation

Basic knowledge of the Alto Clef (where the middle line is middle C)

Simple and Compound Meters

Equating notes on the Bass clef in the Treble Clef, and vice versa

Accidentals (Sharp, Flat, Natural signs)

Note Value Equivalencies (and how Dotted Values work)

Scales: Major, Minor (Natural, Harmonic & Melodic), Chromatic, Modes

Key Signatures for Major & Minor Keys

Intervals: Numbers and Qualities for Simple and Compound Intervals (analyzing and notating)

Triads: Major, Minor, Augmented, Diminished

Transposition

PART II – This is a ‘take home’ exam. May be taken with additional study aids, notes, textbooks, etc. Must be completed within 24 hours and returned to music office.

Students who pass a portion of the theory placement exam, and are not required to take one or both of the harmony courses (MUS 232 and MUS 233), still must take counterpoint (MUS 231) before advancing in our theory sequence. This should not be interpreted as a step backwards, but merely a rounding-out of SF State’s music degree requirements. Students who have not studied counterpoint may attempt this section, but it is ok to skip that part of the exam and just plan on taking MUS 231.

Writing Tonal (Baroque) 2-part Counterpoint (in the style of a Bach Invention) and including labeled examples of Passing Tones, Neighbor Tones, Appoggiaturas and Suspensions – if a student can answer this question, they can skip the species counterpoint question (passing this portion will allow exemption from both MUS 231 & MUS 405)

Students majoring in the Jazz or Creative Music B.A. (who may instead take MUS 234, MUS 235 and MUS 231) do not have to complete the remaining sections of the exam, but are strongly encouraged to do so, and are welcomed in the following courses.

Many transfer students have prior studies in harmony and voice leading. It is still essential that they demonstrate a strong command of these skills in order to pass out of this class.

Harmonization and Roman Numeral Analysis of a Bass Line in 4-parts (incorporating inversions) and including labeled examples of Passing Tones, Neighbor Tones, Appoggiaturas, Suspensions and Escape Tones

Analysis (with Roman Numerals) of a Modulating Passage, including Nonchord Tones and Cadences

Like the diatonic harmony portion of this exam, some transfer students have prior studies in harmony and voice leading. It is still essential that they demonstrate a strong command of these skills in order to pass out of this class.

Analysis and Voice Leading of Various 4-Part Chromatic Chord Progressions